His Necklace

Since I’m soooo not known for my amazing memory, it MUST BE GOD, that since 6^th grade I have remembered and shared numerous times a story I heard once in chapel at Metro. It touched me so deeply even then and has done so over and over my whole life! I’ve shared it with lots of youth over the years and then…

THIS WEEK GOD USED THIS STORY ONCE AGAIN to illustrate one of the coolest, hugest, most ginormous blessings He has ever given me!

I’ve debated sharing the personal side of this story all week but as I always say,

‘If it will encourage EVEN ONE , it’s WORTH IT!’ :D.

So first, the story that touched me 25 years ago….

A young girl had a FAVORITE bead necklace. She loved this necklace soooo much that she wore it every single day and with every single outfit. School, church, playtime and bedtime this necklace was on display! Some would have to admit -they even ‘identified’ this girl by the necklace b/c it’s was ALWAYS on her!

With this in mind, you can imagine her surprise when one night her sweet daddy was reading to her in bed and said, “Do you think it would be ok for ME to have your necklace?”

GASP!

What?! My NECKLACE?! “But daddy! Why would you want my necklace?!”

“No honey, it’s ok. It’s ok. It’s ok! I was just curious. But I understand if you don’t want to. It doesn’t change how much I love you. Not one little bit!”

Whew, she smiled. But with a left over quizzical glance, she thought to herself “What in the world was that all about?!’

Next night. You guessed it. He asked her about the necklace again. Not every night, but most nights over the next month, her daddy at unexpected times would say something about having her necklace!

One day, as she was playing in her room, she was internally reeling over what this all could mean. ‘Why would He even WANT my necklace? Doesn’t He know this necklace makes me …well ME?! What would I DO without my necklace?!” But then she had the thought, “He’s never gotten mad when I say no. He still loves me the same and spends time with me every time I want to. I’ve always been able to trust Him. And well….. I …I…know that everything He does really is because He loves me.”

That night she decides to surprise her daddy. Much to her dismay, He didn’t ask for the 2^nd night in a row! At the end of the book, she can’t stand it any longer! She looked up at her dad grinning from ear to ear and said, “Daddy, I WANT YOU to have my necklace. I don’t really know why you want it but I want you to know that I love you so much more than that necklace!”

Simultaneously, as she drops the necklace into her daddy’s big strong hand, he is pulling something out of his other pocket.

‘What?!’ She was a bit confused by what she thought she saw. ‘Pearls?! Are you kidding me?! Are those REAL pearls?! For ME?!’

Her dad smiled watching her take it all in. And then smiling He said, “Child, I’ve had these for you all along. I didn’t mind waiting. I knew that when you were ready you would trust me with your beads and you would be ready for your very own pearls. “

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~~Like I said, this story has stayed in my heart for what, 25 years. I pull it out from time to time to share or just to remind myself on those days when my TRUE ‘sight’ is limited. He IS a good Daddy. I can trust Him with EVERYTHING in me and EVERYTHING I have.

NOW---- to what happened this week. I’m not going into the details because those are for me and God. But, last week I gave something to the Lord that was soooo not easy to give Him. In fact, much like the bead necklace, I wasn’t sure what I would do without it! You see He had been gesturing to these ‘beads’ for years. Ugh. I always had the right justification ;). But something in me last week CLICKED! It wasn’t a ‘hoping’ it was a KNOWING…..HE IS FAITHFUL, HE IS THE BEST DADDY, I CAN TRUST HIM WITH EVERYTHING!!! Combine that heart with a couple timely sermons and dreams and bam! The clutched for years necklace was joyfully relinquished!

Fast forward 4 days and I was found struggling. You know the mind games, lies, fear, doubt, “Oh maybe He wasn’t really pointing to THAT! ugh.”

Thankfully, this time I quickly picked up the armor and went into mental battle. “Oh Jesus, give me strength. I DO trust YOU.”

Right then He reminded me of the story I just shared with you.

Lucky for me, ha, I was in the middle of a quite literal battle with a laundry pile that was almost taller than me! Needless to say, I had plenty of time to think and ‘re’live that story. When I finished I remember saying something like, “Well, I feel the same way she did. I love YOU more than anything I am or have. You are my whole life. Please show me what ‘my pearl necklace’ is at just the right time.”

READY FOR SOME INSANE, RARELY GOES LIKE THIS TIMING?! Ha!

I walked STRAIGHT from my laundry room to my closet to put some things away.

Ethan had gone to camp the week before and I had taken out a closet divider for him that had been in the same place for almost 10 years! You know one of those canvas things that hangs down long and creates cubbies for plastic baskets, whatever?!

Well, when I went to hang something up in this newly available space, I saw something that took my breath away! I just stood there frozen, ½ laughing and `1/2 weeping!

NINE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, and shortly after our house had been robbed and my jewelry box, including my wedding ring was taken, I had hung a nail on the wall behind this cubby

On this nail, was hanging a single pearl necklace.

And this was not just ANY pearl necklace.

MY DAD gave me this necklace for my 21^st birthday. For the past 9 years, I thought I had lost it. With my sweet daddy in heaven for a year now you can imagine how significant this gift is to me!

Does the Lord always move in this kind of timing that WE prefer?!? Ha. No. But it is always HIS timing. And I’m learning to CHOOSE to believe on the days that I ‘get it’ and especially on the days that I ‘just don’t’….that I trust HIM.

Coming out of a slump myself, I can identify all too well with the days ‘of not feeling it’. The past 10 months have been the hardest of my life. I used to sympathize but not be able to relate to those struggling with depression. Man, I can’t say that anymore!

Keep in mind, in the past 9 years I’ve seen the Lord instantly heal my dad of a disease that had completely robbed his mobility at the age of 50. Over the time period of a couple days, the Lord walked me through forgiving someone that had held me in the vise grips of bitterness and unforgiveness for 15 years! The Lord had freed me of addictions that held me captive for years! I’ve spent hours and hours hanging out with Him ALONE in my house having a better time than I ever have with another! I used to laugh at David in the Psalms who seemed up and down!

But the past year has been a very different season for me. It has been one where I have been re-reading those journals of His faithfulness in my life. When I am praising Him through very real tears. When I am waking up telling myself, “You KNOW the Truth JULIE! The Truth does not change!” Not the whole ‘whack-a-doodle calling something healed when it’s killing you attitude!’ Please don’t hear that!

But more of a MY GOD IS FAITHFUL! AND I LOVE HIM MORE THAN ANY ‘FEELING’ I MAY OR MAY NOT BE HAVING RIGHT NOW!

So, hopefully you can celebrate with me. Maybe it’s a stretch b/c you’re in a ‘not feeling it’ day, that’s ok I get it! Or maybe it’s one of those, “But wait till you hear what happened to ME today!” days.

Whatever the case just KNOW…

Our God is crazy in love with YOU. On your best days and your crummiest days. They simply don’t affect His love for you at all.

But I highly recommend trusting whatever He is whispering to you.

His plans are SO much greater than ours. His thoughts are always higher than ours.

And thank goodness,

His love is SOO much deeper than ours.

Love, Julz

Your friend in the journey no matter where ya are ;)